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Low Quality TN Displays

A lot of laptops today still use low quality TN displays. The quality is worse than IPS or good TN. This is the case for many 1080p displays that aren't listed as IPS or 120Hz+, and nearly all displays 768p/900p.

There may be other concerns too such as colorspace and response times. Many IPS displays are passable but still not great. A more in-depth article is in the works, and will be linked here.

False High-Res Displays

Some laptops that list high resolutions (1440p through 4K) use "PenTile" RG/BW or WR/GB matrix panels instead of RGB/RGB. These trick consumers because the listed resolution numbers are the same, but the detail is less, and they produce artifacts. Companies tend to use these only in the place of higher resolutions where an unsuspecting customer may not immediately realize something is wrong.

Key models with false high-res displays:

ASUS Vivobook N580VD

Clevo w/ Samsung/LG '4K' 15.6"

MSI G(X/S/E)63VR, WS63VR '4K'

Fujitsu Lifebook '4K' 15.6"

This problem exists in more models than this, and also in more than just laptops. An updated longer list and more in-depth article are in the works.

Confusing CPU branding

U-series vs H-series, and 2-core vs 4-core, mean more than Core i5 vs Core i7. The difference between an "i5" 8250U and "i7" 8550U is less than it might sound like. An "i5" 8300H is more powerful than either. More info is available here.

important_rules

TL;DR: If you have any sort of financial interest in users following your advice, you need to message the moderators to get a flair.

Excessive use of affiliate links, or linking exclusively to one website, can result in your account being shadowbanned by reddit. This is an action taken either automatically by reddit or by the admins, although the SuggestALaptop mods will inform you if you appear to be shadowbanned. See this page for information on how to check if you are shadowbanned and how to appeal a shadowban.

If you do not wish to be flaired as a company representative, you should still message the moderators to receive a flair indicating that you are employed by a particular company (retailer, reseller, or laptop manufacturer).

Company Representative Rules and Guidelines

When linking and recommending products that use or offer displays that are PenTile RG/BW (or WR/GB) or any other matrix that uses fewer RGB components than an RGB-matrix display for the same denoted resolution spec, company representatives must specify this. The clarification must satisfy the following criteria:

It states both that the effective sharpness is lower, and that the computer is still rendering in the higher resolution - e.g., "The listed '3840x2160' upgrade option on this laptop is PenTile RG/BW, meaning the effective sharpness is closer to 1520p even though the video card will be rendering in 2160p." (to obtain an upper bound on the effective sharpness for any RG/BW or WR/GB display, divide the resolution dimensions by sqrt(2))

It includes the "slash" in the matrix descriptor -- e.g. "RG/BW", not "RGBW". The term "RGBW" without the slash can give the impression that the display includes all four components inside each denoted pixel, which isn't correct. Similarly, it is also preferable to avoid using terms such as "PenTile 4K", because this can still be seen as describing the display as 4K. Use "3840(RG/BW)x2160" instead, or put "4K" in quotes.

It does not claim advantages without putting them into context - i.e., the post shouldn't mention how the power consumption of a 3840(RG/BW)x2160 display might be lower than that of a 3840(RGB)x2160 display, without also mentioning that the same might be the case for a 2880(RGB)x1620 display.

It does not call upon the VESA standard of defining resolution by contrast of line pairs, unless it also states that most color displays today fit into a stricter definition of resolution where each denoted pixel is capable of independently producing the full spectrum of the display, and that these displays do not.

An exception to this requirement is if the product page makes a concerted effort to make this information clear to the user. This will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but some guidelines are that it should follow the above criteria at every point where the screen is discussed, and that it should avoid using resolution shorthand terms such as 4K, UHD, QFHD, QHD, QHD+.

Please understand that this is a necessary step to protect consumers and to uphold standards for transparency.

Affiliate Links

If you wish to use affiliate links in your comments, please read the following and then message the moderators to request permission to use affiliate links. If granted, you will be given a flair. If you do not have this flair, you may not post affiliate links. No exceptions.

Once you apply, you will get a message back saying APPROVED or DENIED. You may then post Affiliate Links once you are approved. If you are denied, you may reapply after one week's time and show proof of improvement. If you have not improved, you won't be approved. Please allow up to one to two weeks for a response to your message. Usually you will receive a reply much faster than this, but sometimes things get cluttered or we become busy. Be patient.

Affiliate Link Rules & Guidelines

Only established users will be given this permission. This means a history of giving good and correct advice on this subreddit, and you must have an account that is both at least two weeks old and has been active in the sub within the past week. You must post regularly and be active to receive this flair.

Expect your comments to be watched by the moderators. This means you must be consistent with any of your advice or suggestions. We reserve the right to take away your flair at any time if we feel that you should reapply and re-read the rules.

A minimum karma requirement, currently set to at least 25 comment karma on /r/SuggestALaptop. The exact number may be adjusted, and will be measured using SnoopSnoo.

No alt accounts are allowed whatsoever.

As always, you should be civil and friendly. Any putting down somebody for their suggestion or opinion is not allowed under any circumstances. It is okay for you to point out errors or incorrect statements.

Specific rules for your comments must include the following:

Comments must add value beyond a link. This means making a case for why a particular laptop is a good choice. Justify your suggestion and explain why it is a good choice, preferably through the use of two to three sentence or more.

Comments must have value without a link. This means that the comment must still be useful if you were to cut out the link. This ties in with justifying your suggestion and explaining why it is a good choice. When linking a notebook, please include the title of it to make things easy. Ex: [Toshiba Satellite S55t](link)

We expect your suggestions to be appropriate. They should make sense! They do not need to be perfect, but they should match up to the requirements given.

Know what you are talking about. Be clear and specific. Some people may not know technical specifications. If people ask you questions, you should be able to thoroughly explain your reasoning and be correct about it.

You may only offer two options total within the same comment. Any more than these and it will likely lead to confusion. We are here to give people a few options to choose from, not to confuse them with too many options.

You may not copy and paste your posts under any circumstances. It is fine if they look somewhat similar, but if they are blatantly copy and pasted you will either be denied or your flair will be removed.

We must be able to tell that you have put effort into your comment. If your comment is short or doesn't explain very much, you should be putting more effort into your comments.

These requirements are harsher than our previous laissez-faire attitude towards affiliate linkers. We expect complaints. However, if you wish to exploit our userbase for profit we require you to do so in a way that adds value to the subreddit, rather than one that hurts it.

Attempts to conceal affiliate links (by using URL shorteners or through any other means) are not tolerated and may result in an immediate ban, depending on the severity of the offense.

You are required to agree to our rules by filling out this form. If you do not fill out this form, you will be denied. Once done, message the moderators.

Then, message the moderators. You will have an appropriate flair added to your name if you are accepted, along with a confirmation from a mod. If you are declined, you must wait a minimum of one week to reapply, with proof of your improvement in your posts within the sub.